Market Reports

Spec Office Development Gains Steam in Ohio’s Suburbs for First Time in Years

by Christina Cannon September 8, 2016

From Cleveland to Cincinnati, speculative Class A office development is on the rise in Ohio for the first time in at least five years. Primarily occurring in the suburbs, 3 to 4 million square feet of spec development is driven by a lack of office space as well as pent-up demand for new space with an urban feel that contains retail and multifamily components. Most spec office development reflects the demands of both Millennials and Baby Boomers. These significant population groups seek to locate in live-work-play neighborhoods that offer cool office and residential spaces, walkability and common green spaces. Because these components are important to Millennials — now the largest share of the American workforce — they have become important for companies in their efforts to recruit the best and the brightest. Quality talent is more of a factor than cost. In competing for talent, these companies must look for and include such office amenities as game rooms, outdoor patios and walking trails. Not only are the retail and residential components to an office project important, but companies are also expressing genuine interest in branding, signage opportunities, naming rights and modern amenities. Cost of financing guides developers in Cleveland While downtown …

September 8, 2016

Market Reports Retail Texas Texas Market Reports

The Prospect for Major Retail Expansion in the Rio Grande Valley is Predictable

by Haisten Willis September 2, 2016

Last summer, NAI Rio Grande Valley and Michael Uhrbrock, senior vice president of research at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, examined eight Rio Grande Valley cities to examine the history of retail sales between 2002 and 2014 and to forecast the future. The cities examined were McAllen, Brownsville, Harlingen, Edinburg, Pharr, Weslaco, Mission and Mercedes. We were working on a piece for the Rio Grande Valley Partnership’s Economic Development magazine. What we learned is quite interesting and presents an unusual view into the future potential for retail expansion in the Rio Grande Valley. Total retail sales in the eight cities increased $4.47 billion between 2002 and 2014. Forecasting the future required a view of low, median and high ranges of potential sales. Based on the high projections, it is anticipated that valley sales in these cities will increase by $13.68 billion between 2015 and 2030. A number of factors go into the results, but several factors are expected contribute to the expected increases. Growth in Many Sectors With 1,450,000 residents, the population of the Rio Grande Valley today is larger than that of nine states. Forecasts show the population will grow to 2.5 million by 2040, which does …

September 2, 2016

Industrial Iowa Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Mixed-Use Multifamily Office Retail Uncategorized

Sioux City Experiences ‘Crane Craze’ Across Property Types

by Christina Cannon September 1, 2016

The skies are dotted with cranes — not the type you would find on route west to the Sandhills of Nebraska, but the type synonymous with a robust economy. It is safe to say there have never been so many cranes at work in the history of Sioux City. Several large industrial projects are resulting in further development of retail and multifamily space that has been in demand for some time in Sioux City. Retail, entertainment wave Helping to draw residents and visitors alike out into the streets of Sioux City is the $130 million Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The Hard Rock replaced the floating Argosy riverboat casino in a first-in-the-state competitive bidding war for a land-based casino. Due to the popularity of the development since it opened in August 2014, the Hard Rock already has plans to add an $8 million casino expansion by the end of the year. Hard Rock has played a vital role in making Sioux City a regional, cultural and entertainment destination. Dallas-based Anthony Properties is planning to deliver 350,000 square feet of retail space by the summer of 2018. The 64-acre site, located at the intersection of Sunnybrook Drive and Sergeant Road, is …

September 1, 2016

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Connecticut Industrial Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports

Connecticut Industrial Sector Sees Steady Demand from Tenants, Investors

by Jaime Lackey August 31, 2016

The Connecticut industrial market has changed. The days of large corporate surplus assets littering our industrial parks, mid-teen vacancy rates and discounted lease rates are over — or at least on a hiatus. In the last few years, the market has tightened with many of the larger blocks of space absorbed by various local and national tenants. The last 20 to 25 years saw corporate consolidations, downsizing and the move to cheaper markets dominate our industrial landscape. Left behind were inefficient, large manufacturing facilities in a market losing its manufacturing base. As time went by, these idle, surplus assets were acquired by local and regional investors who eventually made these properties functional again. Over the years, steady absorption has chipped away at vacancy rates, and quality available product has become increasingly difficult to find for tenants. Traditionally, an industrial tenant needing 100,000 square feet or greater would have numerous alternatives to consider and a wide range of quality too. This gave tenants enormous leverage, allowing them to negotiate more flexible and favorable terms and conditions. The relatively recent shift in tide has allowed landlords to control the process and we’ve seen a corresponding upward tick in lease rates. The sales …

August 31, 2016

Market Reports Retail South Carolina Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Columbia’s Retail Market is Uniquely Equipped to Meet the Needs of Millennials

by John Nelson August 29, 2016

It is impossible to have a discussion about retail commercial real estate without considering the implications of shifting demographics. This is true both nationally and in the Columbia market. The unique demographic characteristics of the local market serve as an explanation for the current situation in retail real estate. The trends in retail real estate in Columbia echo those on that national level, although with the local market’s heavy concentration of Millennials (one of the highest in the Southeast), the opportunity for disproportionately high growth is significant. Those trends involve the sector being the last to emerge from the recession with low levels of retail development on a broad scale, but increasing activity and viability in urban and infill environments, especially for restaurants. Much of the retail activity in the market uniquely caters to that 20 to 34 age demographic. At this stage in their lives, the overwhelming majority of the younger demographic is focused on living in an active lifestyle, preferably in urban environments. This is making the prospect of infill retail, particularly as a component of mixed-use development, more feasible. This is resulting in increasing retail and multifamily development in Columbia’s downtown. For urban retail, there are three …

August 29, 2016

Connecticut Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

Fairfield County: Office Revamps Result in Tenancy Shift

by Jaime Lackey August 25, 2016

Fairfield County, Connecticut, which has traditionally been home to many multi-national financial tenants, is transitioning to become one of the most diverse business environments in the region and attracting some of the biggest names from the TAMI (technology, advertising, media and information), creative, engineering and corporate arenas. This shift in the fabric of the business community may be attributed to major investments made by a number of owners to improve and reposition their office properties to meet the demands of this new type of tenant. Owners are virtually creating new tenant experiences in their buildings, with office space boasting technological efficiencies and tenant amenities designed to support a balance between professional and personal needs. The “if you build, he will come,” quote made famous in the movie Field of Dreams is certainly apropos when looking at the trend of newly renovated properties attracting some of the best tenants in the market. A perfect example is the success at Merritt 7, a six-building, 1.4 million-square-foot office complex that recently completed more than 600,000 square feet of new leases — including a recent 133,000-square-foot lease by Datto Inc., one of the fastest- growing information technology firms in the world for its global …

August 25, 2016

Iowa Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Mixed-Use Multifamily Office Retail

Cedar Rapids Real Estate Market Stays Hot As Flood Recovery Efforts Wind Down

by Christina Cannon August 24, 2016

The historic flood of June 2008 is becoming a distant memory as the city of Cedar Rapids prepares for the dedication of the new Northwest Recreation Center, the last public facility to be completed as part of the flood recovery project. The dedication ceremony is slated for Thursday, Aug. 25. The recovery has led to a revitalization of many flood-impacted areas in the city, ranging from residential neighborhoods to the downtown business district. Now the momentum is turning toward several new projects: • This month, tenants will begin moving into the 11-story CRST tower downtown, which features 300 feet of the new flood protection system. • A 28-story, mixed-use tower is being proposed on city-owned property downtown. The development may contain retail, office, hotel and residential space led by Allen Development, an Iowa City developer. • Over 10 downtown housing projects are under construction that will create almost 400 new condo and apartment units, which will bring our core closer to a live-work-play environment. These projects are also putting vacant retail and office buildings to new uses. • The Czech Village-New Bohemia neighborhood continues to grow with historic buildings being renovated and repurposed while augmenting exciting new construction featuring retail, …

August 24, 2016

Florida Market Reports Office Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Miami’s Office Rents Continue to Rise, Create New Opportunities for Investment

by John Nelson August 22, 2016

Miami’s four major office submarkets — Brickell, Downtown, Coral Gables, and Airport West Dade — are enjoying record growth in Class A asking rental rates, an emerging trend that is further strengthening the city’s positioning as a highly desirable market for local, national and foreign investors. In the city’s Brickell/Downtown business district, Class A office rents have skyrocketed more than an average of 14 percent per square foot during the past year — a significant difference from the historic average annual increases of 2 to 3 percent per square foot. In fact, the disparity in Class A and B rents in the urban core, where Class A rents range from 40 to 70 percent higher per square foot than Class B rents, is much greater than in submarkets, where Class A rents are approximately 24 percent higher than Class B rents. This creates further incentive for Class B buildings in the urban core to raise asking rental rates and stay apace with Class A, making it a strong business case for investors who are looking for a long-term play with maximum ROI. The rent growth is attributed to several factors. While we have seen strong net absorption by local companies …

August 22, 2016

Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Office Uncategorized Wisconsin

Late to the Economic Recovery, Madison’s Office Sector is Now in a Growth Mode

by Christina Cannon August 18, 2016

The Madison office market finally emerged from its post-recession stupor in 2015 and chalked up its best performance since the early 2000s. The 430,000 square feet of positive net absorption recorded last year exceeded the combined total of the previous three years. This strong trend continues in 2016. Nearly 150,000 square feet of office space was leased during the first quarter, driving the vacancy rate down to 10.2 percent. The Madison office market was slow to recover from the Great Recession. As recently as 2014, office vacancies increased, and only 67,000 square feet of net positive absorption was tallied that year. As the state capital and home to the University of Wisconsin, the local economy depends on government and education as base industries — sectors where employment and spending had been retreating until recently. Insurance, financial services, medical services, research, information technology and software development are also important and growing sectors in Madison, accounting for a lot of new office leasing activity. Who’s taking space? Among the large lease deals in recent months: Arrowhead Research inked a deal to occupy 68,000 square feet in University Research Park; M3 Insurance completed and moved into its building at 828 John Nolen Drive; …

August 18, 2016

Maine Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

Availability Continues to Tighten in Greater Portland, Maine, Office Market

by Jaime Lackey August 17, 2016

The real estate environment in the Greater Portland region has been incredibly strong this year. On top of the favorable vacancy rates in the industrial, retail, and multifamily sectors, the office market vacancy in the region continues to dwindle, following the trend we’ve seen over the last five years. In a state with a geographic footprint that could nearly fit the rest of New England, the bulk of office inventory is concentrated in the southern region. Specifically, the supply is in the Greater Portland area, which comprises seven cities and towns. This region features just over 10.5 million square feet of Class A and Class B office space, with an additional 1.25 million square feet of medical space. Of that, 40 percent is located in downtown Portland. Portland is in the midst of a renaissance of sorts. Demand and desirability to live and work here, especially downtown, has grown significantly in recent years. We’ve become a “foodie” destination with a surge of new high-end restaurants and hotels. This coupled with beautiful water views and a unique way of life has attracted a younger demographic. Baby boomers and empty nesters are also relocating to this area from the suburbs. The movement …

August 17, 2016

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